Legacy II : The Message
by SynnoveD
Summary: With its plans unhindered, the Syndicate grows ever stronger. As everyone battles with their own internal conflicts, they face a greater challenge when Matron tells of a chilling fable from her childhood. Mature Readers Only!
1. Lifeline

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own SquareEnix, Final Fantasy VIII, its characters or anything in between. I do not make profit from writing fanfiction._

This story contains content suitable for adults. If you're below the age of 18, I'd suggest finding something else to read. _Story Ingredients: Abuse, Angst, Corruption, Death, Drugs/Alcohol, Non Consensual, Original Characters, Romance, Transformation, Violence_

**Author's Note:** Yay! I've managed to make it to the second part of Legacy! Reviews are much needed (please don't make me beg!) and greatly appreciated!

[This is a continuance from Legacy I, The Catalyst.]

**Eleven - Lifeline**

Seifer's eyes opened for the first time since Dollet. His lids fluttered weakly as his eyes tried to focus. He tried to speak, but suffering from an extremely dry throat it was a struggle to utter a single vowel.

_W…h…at happened…?_

Seifer could feel his body repairing itself as he drifted in and out of consciousness, only for a few short moments at a time. The blurred vision didn't help with his confusion, especially when he couldn't see what was keeping his hands from moving to his face. He felt as though his body was paralyzed, his senses were completely wrecked.

Trying to jog his memory, he struggled to make sense of what put him there.

With his vision a white blur, he couldn't tell if his eyes were open or shut or of he was dreaming or dead.

Then it all hit him in one hard rush. The horrible events in Dollet flashed before him and he realized that Nino was dead, and he couldn't save her. At first he tried to deny it, but that only made the grief hit him harder. He knew better than to pretend. The reality of it all caused Seifer's body to shake violently, tears pushing through his clenched eyes.

He let out a low moan, his body trying to jerk itself out of the hold it was under. He felt the feeling of pressure on his wrists and arms, as well as his chest, legs and feet. What was holding him down? Seifer could no longer stand the feeling. He began to put his strength into breaking free from the vice his arms kept him in, pain shooting through his body.

_It didn't happen…it was a dream! Everything's fine, Nino's fine! It was just a nightmare! Wake up—wake up—wake up!_

Seifer arched his back, or what arch he could muster without feeling the excruciating pain in his chest.

_WAKE UP DAMN IT!_

He could hear the EKG monitor beeping fast, faster, fastest. This pattern was all too similar to Seifer's breathing. His panting became more frantic, more hysteric—it caused him to choke.

Seifer felt the pain overwhelming him. Grief took over and he tried to scream but couldn't. He felt the walls closing in on him, the lack of movement suffocating him as he struggled to breathe.

The creaking of the bed along with his struggling caught the attention of a person outside the room and he heard an alarm sound. He heard a door swooshing open and the sound of doctors yelling.

"He's in distress! Get Trepe in here!" Seifer couldn't recognize the familiar doctor's voice, he didn't care to. Tomé pressed her hand on his chest, trying to give him comfort. "Seifer! Open your eyes!"

Quistis rushed into the room, immediately reaching for Seifer's face as he his body rocked, shaking the bed.

Seifer couldn't hear her. He couldn't push the visions of Dollet out of his mind, the sound of the band, the gunshots, screaming, everything deafened him from what was really happening. He reached out for a grasp, gripping onto Tomé's wrist and squeezing, feeling the pain that he felt with the creature that dwelled inside of him.

Seifer inaudibly screamed to Nino to run, over and over, unable to connect to the real world. He stifled a choked sob as he remembered Nino's life slipping.

"Increase his Thorzine, he's about to snap my wrist!"

He writhed on the bed, not wanting to accept reality, wanting to keep that last moment he had with Nino fresh in his memory. But as the sedative increased in its effects, he listened as the noise of the festival died, the EKG's monitor slowing down to a steady tempo.

He felt Quistis' cold hands on his cheeks, keeping him still. His eyes stung from the exposure to the air as he tried to see her face. After a few blinks, he was able to focus—her worried eyes the first thing he saw.

"Seifer, you're severely injured, been unconscious a few days." Quistis caressed his face in a comforting manner, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a damp cloth. "We've given you a sedative to keep you relaxed."

Tomé examined her own wrist, referring to the bruise forming around it. "Weak is quite an understatement…"

Quistis flinched, hearing Tomé's wrist crack and pop as she rotated it carefully.

Seifer blinked a few times, his lips apart, staring at his legs. The occasional glance of Nino face flashing in his mind caused him to draw in a few sharp breaths.

He flinched when he felt the texture of a cup against his lips. "Just take a little bit in. It will ease the discomfort in your throat."

His eyes closed as the cold water swept over his dry mouth. He slowly swallowed, coughing weakly. He felt Tomé's hands behind his back, feeling around an increasingly sore area.

"My god…the exit wounds are healed!" Tomé looked at Seifer in disbelief. "…Take _time_ to heal—lots and l-lots of time to heal…how this is possible I…" She backed away, nearly tripping over a triage tray. "I'm…I'm gonna go get a s-second opinion—call my mother, too…"

Quistis carefully removed the bandage on Seifer's chest; the only thing hiding under the gauze was dried blood. She looked at Seifer with an equal amount of confusion as Tomé had. "Seifer, you suffered massive internal injuries and two gunshot wounds. How you're still alive, I can't figure out. But this is just…"

Seifer responded with a slow blink, like as if he couldn't register her presence.

"What happened?" Quistis whispered, gently pushing a hand behind Seifer's head in support.

Seifer's eyes shut as he felt the cup looming near his lips. Seifer took in a larger sip of liquid, feeling much refreshed. His mouth felt slimy, but the water relieved that.

"Do you want to try to speak?" Quistis whispered, gently patting his face again with the cloth. A saddened smile played on her face. "Can you tell me how you're feeling?"

He cleared his throat painfully. "Nino's dead." He spoke with a calm, flat tone. Tears rolled down his face but no signs of a breakdown showed through.

Quistis' demeanor changed as she stood straight. She turned to see Squall standing in the doorway. He wore a stone-cold face as he walked in, approaching Seifer with an authoritative stance. When Quistis turned around, Seifer had already slipped back into his deep sleep; the drugs had done their job.

Squall loomed over Seifer, so many emotions passing through his face. "Selphie is suggesting that he summoned a Guardian Force." He watched as Seifer slept, his expression was tormented, longing.

Quistis pondered the thought as she removed the bandages from Seifer's head. "Squall, his wounds are completely healed. If he had a G.F. junctioned, that would explain his healing process…"

Squall looked on as the bandages from Seifer's forehead were lifted, leaving fresh skin underneath the dried blood. "How would Seifer have come across one though, and one so powerful…" Squall's eyes went to the leather cuffs binding Seifer to the bed, speaking with a flat, even tone. "Seifer's broken the agreement. Now he _has_ to go back. Zell will be going under investigation. He's guilty, and admits to breaking protocol. Not sure how I want to approach that with the Council—they might decide to send him back with Seifer as well."

Quistis blinked. "You're not considering…"

"He disobeyed the orders of his superior. I can't just let it slide."

Quistis slapped Squall hard across the face. "You're a hero, you're a leader, but for once in your life, Squall—be a man." She breathed heavily, slowly moving toward the door. "Be a man."

When she left, Squall pulled a chair by the bed. He didn't want to take his eyes off of Seifer, afraid something would happen again.

Translated Copy of Nino Mireille's Private Diary Entry # 102

"_It's hard living like this. Every day we are constantly searching for Ellone. Always moving, dangerously pushing close to a second war. I never asked to be involved with this. I just wanted Seifer to live out his dream. _

_He ordered that we search for Ellone in Humphrey Harbor. By the time that my ship arrived in the town it was already infiltrated. Ellone was not there, and so they burned the harbor to the ground. I can still sense that horrible smell.. I'll never be able to get it out of my clothes. Our next stop is Fisherman's Horizon. I don't know if I can stand to see them ransack and pillage another innocent town. _

_Seifer…where is he?_

_There are days when I look at Seifer and I no longer see the friend I knew. I see this monster, a demon – dwelling inside. _

_Any attempts in asking him about this Sorceress makes him shut me out. I'm in the dark here, and I don't know what to do. _

_He asked me to come to his room tonight. I didn't even want to bother with explaining the fact that I returned to him empty handed. My opinions changed when I went to his suite. When I got there he and I sat in the oversized chair and talked (among other things). He told me that aside from Raijin, I was "the only thing keeping his feet on the ground." It felt so good to have him back again. He wasn't that monster or demon. He was my friend. _

_I just hope that by morning he's still that same person that loved me tonight."_

Translated Copy of Nino Mireille's Private Diary Entry # 107

_They burned another harbor. Killed them all. Seifer wasn't fully in control, like usual. This Sorceress Edea—she forced him to set it to burn. I watched her do it! I'm scared I'm losing him more and more to her every day. _

_We're setting our course to Fisherman's Horizon. In a few days…_

_Heading to another town in Galbadia I've never heard of. Seifer and father have been in his private cabin all day with Urvo. I'm scared of what's being said. I'm scared if they're trying to change his perspective. _

Translated Copy of Nino Mireille's Private Diary Entry # 121

_He holds no remorse in his eyes. He turned to look at me and he said "We will all be damned when this is over. I'm a monster, and there's no getting around that." _

_I'm afraid that there's nothing we can do for him anymore. I've been talking with Fujin about this. She agrees that enough is enough. One of us has to say something about this obsession. We both feel that we can help him attain whatever dream he has—just as he would for us, but not this. Seifer's lost himself to this dream, he no longer knows the difference between right and wrong. _

_I overheard my father and Urvo talking about a revolution. They know something bad is coming, and they want Seifer to join us when whatever it is happens. _

Squall closed the folder which contained the transcripts of the journal. He had been reading for hours and his eyes were beginning to get heavy. As he stretched, Squall stood, the bones in his back cracking.

_Coffee sounds good. _

As he walked out drowsily, he realized it was well into the night. The infirmary hall was empty and quiet aside from the radio playing at the Nurse's station.

"It's late, shouldn't you be getting back to your digs?" Tomé spoke from her mountain of paperwork, sorting and filing.

Squall approached her desk, opening one of the many manila folders. "What are you looking for?"

"My mother said something about rapid healing in a student she had when Garden was established." She slipped on her glasses, looking over an old file. "I'm trying to find a starting point for Seifer's remarkable condition." Tomé lifted a stack from the floor, dust particles flew in the air as it landed on the desk. "His scar tissue has also repaired itself too. Those scars on his abdomen? They're faded. I've never seen anything like it."

"His body is repairing itself?"

"Like I said, I've never seen anything like it." Tomé was finished with the conversation, unable to explain further. "Goodnight, Headmaster."

Squall nodded. "Goodnight, Dr. Kadowaki."

The moment the door to the infirmary closed, the doors automatically locked.

She glanced up from her paperwork, seeing Lux's brown curls sticking in all direction.

"You're doing much better." She smirked, moving the stack of folders that hid his face. He blinked a few times, having a hard time seeing without his glasses. "Gonna pass out on me again tonight?" She asked, reaching for a clipboard.

"Who was that guy?" Lux bit his bottom lip, peering down the hallway. Seifer's room was at the end, its light the only thing brightening the hallway. "Why is he so mad at Seifer?"

Tomé froze, unsure of how to answer the question. "He's mad at Seifer because he doesn't know who to blame."

"Oh…" Lux looked down the hall again. The light illuminating Seifer's room was like a beacon to him.

"You want to go see him?"

"I don't know…"

Tomé took off her glasses and stood. She smiled warmly, taking him by the hand. "Come on."

They walked together, Lux attached to his IV stand as he pulled it along. "Does he even remember me?" He looked down at his bare feet as they padded across the cold floor.

Tomé looked at him oddly. "You don't remember coming here do you?" She sighed when the young boy shook his head.

When they reached his room, Lux hesitated. He was ashamed on Seifer's behalf for being bound and restrained. Tomé walked ahead of the boy, pulling keys out of her pocket.

Seifer was still sleeping, his breathing was even and deep as Tomé approached. Lifting his arm gently, she removed the restraints that bound his wrist and upper arm. As Lux moved closer, Tomé walked around the bed and detached Seifer's other arm from the restraints as well.

Lux slowly approached Seifer's bed, carefully letting out his breath. He stood a few feet from the bed, his hands gripping tight onto the IV stand. Swallowing hard, Lux's pale hand stretched out to touch Seifer's. His lip quivered, tears stinging his eyes which darted back and forth from Tomé to Seifer.

"Go ahead…" Tomé assured quietly as she removed the last of the leather restraints. She sat down, opening a file and began writing up a report.

Lux wiped his eyes furiously and immediately reached for Seifer's hand, lifting it. "Seifer?"

Lux watched as the sleeping man's brow lower.

Seifer released a short groan, trying to come up from the medication's effects. His lashes fluttered and he focused his eyes right on Lux.

A tired smile stretched over Seifer's lips as his hand instinctively reached up to the back of Lux's head. "Hey, kid…" He whispered, brushing the tear that was running down Lux's cheek.

Not holding back any longer, Lux scrambled into the bed with Seifer, holding onto him tightly as he wept. Seifer obliged, weakly moving over in the bed and putting his arms around the boy and rocking him.

"Shh…it's gonna be fine." Seifer whispered, his hand rubbing Lux's shoulder and back. He sighed, closing his eyes as he thought of Nino. "We're gonna be fine."

"But it's just us now…" Lux started weeping again, his voice cracked when he spoke.

"I know, bud. We can make it though." He smiled sadly, pressing his cheek into the kid's hair and looking over at Tomé who was shifting uncomfortably.

_You know you cannot tell them, Tomé. You'll end up losing everything—look at what you're risking now… _Tomé swallowed. "Lux is recovering at a good pace. His l-levels are stabilizing but we're ke…keeping an eye on his electrolytes and…"

"Thank you, Tomé." Seifer could hear the uneasiness in her voice. He looked down at Lux, who shivered. He was trying to control his own breathing, keeping himself from crying.

Tomé stood and reached for a blanket on the counter. She unfolded it and gently blanketed the two of them before returning to her spot.

Seifer rocked Lux to sleep, never letting his grip loosen on the boy's frail body. It wasn't the first time Seifer held Lux.

"You two must be close." Tomé acknowledged.

Seifer opened his eyes and looked at Lux. He was fast asleep, a tight grip held onto Seifer's shirt, pulled close to Lux's chest.

"Their mother died when Lux was a baby. He doesn't even remember her." Seifer spoke quietly. "Nino and Lux had different mothers, and he was born when Nino barely turned fourteen. His mother chose her habits over her child and took her own life." Seifer frowned, stroking Lux's cheek. "Any summer or winter break I had from Garden, I spent with Nino and Lux in Roshfall." His long fingers brushed the boy's hair. "I've been in his life since he was two. I'd do anything for him."

Seifer looked back at Tomé, hearing her phone vibrate in her coat pocket.

"I need to go check on another patient. Can I trust you two if I leave you in here? I don't want to have to explain to Squall why I'm missing two patients—one being Seifer Almasy."

Seifer smiled, nodding. "I'll stay here. I've got to face my consequences."

Tomé stood, her hand stretching out to squeeze Seifer's foot as a thankful gesture. She wanted to cry, seeing the two of them together.

"I want him enrolled into Balamb. Once he's healthy."

Tomé stopped in the doorway, keeping her back to Seifer. She gave a short nod. "Ok."

"Also…the money I've earned here, I've barely spent any of it. There ain't a currency where I'm going so please make sure that he gets it."

Tomé gave another short nod, quickly dimming the lights and shutting the door behind her. She walked in a hurried pace, her hand covering her mouth as she began to sob. Her face felt hot, her body felt cold. Finding an empty patient room, she broke down and cried.

_You know damn well that he didn't go to Dollet to kill anybody…he's not like that. _

_Tomé, you have to prove to Squall that he's innocent. _

_Maybe I believe all this just because we… _

_No. it's because I truly care for that man._

_It's not love, but it's something. _

_I can't let them do this. _

_I can't let him go. _

Tomé's train of thought was interrupted by the second vibration in her pocket. She knew she was behind on her rounds, but with all things considered, she felt useless.

Composing herself, she walked out of the vacant room, making her way into Nino's room.

_Seifer pushed the double doors leading into the bedroom, his eyes blank as he made a beeline towards the back of the Presidential suite. Nino chased behind him, yelling. _

"_There you go again! Withdrawing back into that other world!" _

_Seifer ignores her, removing his tattered trenchcoat and tossing it onto the bed. _

"_I'm talking to you-do you not hear a word I'm saying?" _

_He glanced at her, his eyes cold as ice. Seifer cocked his head to the side as a shrug. Their tension rose as he picked up his journal and began to search through the pages of his journal. _

"_Do you even know that I'm here?"_

_Nino glanced at the table next to her, lifting the heavy glass vase in the center and hurling it towards Seifer. Clear as the glass she had just smashed across the red walls of the Galbadian embellished room, Seifer stuck a pen in his mouth and continued to pace. _

"_I might as well be a ghost…" _

_Seifer made a noise in the back of his throat, annoyed with the distraction._

"_It's true! You walk right through me!" Nino walked around him in circles as he paced, trying to grab his attention. "This isn't you… why won't you talk to me!" _

_Blank pages surrounding Seifer's eyes, Nino can't see what he can. Her hand slapped the book down to the ground, its spine cracked as it landed on the purple and gold rug below their feet. _

_Seifer sighed, his eyes closed. Nino reached for his shoulders, spinning him toward the mirror above the fireplace. _

"_Look in the mirror! What do you see?" She was beginning to sound desperate. _

_Seifer opened his eyes; his jaded stare caused a deep shiver down Nino's back. _

"_Where are you, Seifer?" She held onto him tight, as if he would fall into the mirror. _

"_Seifer…" _

_Tears fell when he looked away. "…I see nothing but myself." _

Nino's eyes weakly opened when she felt the sharp stab in her arm. Tomé was injecting medicine into her IV.

"That stings a little…" She whispered in a raspy voice.

Tomé jumped, nearly pulling the needle out. "You're awake!"

"Water…please."

"Oh—of course…" Tomé rushed to the tray behind her and returned with a cup, placing the straw gently in between Nino's dry lips. "Drink slow, your body is weak. You've been unconscious for a few days."

Nino's head fell back on the pillow; the effort to drink was too much for her. "What happened?"

Tomé fumbled for her stethoscope, wondering why she was so nervous around this girl. She pressed the chest piece to Nino's skin, listening carefully.

"Heart rate is healthy." She said quietly. "How's your pain?"

"I feel fine. Maybe a little stiff…" Nino jerked a hand up, referencing the cuff retraining her.

Tomé moved her flashlight across Nino's eyes. The green almost seemed to flicker when the light hit them. "Eyes are focusing…could you say your name for me?" The doctor turned to reach for Nino's chart, scribbling her updated data into the paperwork.

"Um…" Nino realized how she got there. She felt panic, fear, remorse. Searching the room for an answer, she looked back at the doctor. "Don't you already have that information?"

Tomé glanced up from the chart. "Just for clarification. Sometimes when we have patients brought in, without a conscious person, we can't really know for sure." She pressed the tip of her pen onto the sheet, ready.

"How did I get here? Where am I?" Nino tried to play dumb, not wanting to give the doctor any further information.

"You're in Balamb Garden's Specific Ward. You're in here, well, I'm not really privy to that information. I just treat patients."

Nino's breath quickened, her pulse began to race. "Sei…" She breathed the first part of his name, afraid of hearing he died in Dollet. Nino couldn't stop the tears uncontrollably falling from her face from just the thought.

"Your name is Nino Mireille, isn't it?" Tomé smiled warmly, holding onto Nino's arm in comfort.

Dressed in the standard holding uniform, a dull greenish-brown jumpsuit, Zell sat in his sterile cell, thinking back. The jumpsuit's upper section hung around him, his bare skin pressing against the cold concrete walls of his sterile white cell.

They had left Zell in the Disciplinary Hall, until they had cleared his claims. Squall hadn't believed him, feeling Zell was swayed by Seifer—like all of them had been.

He stared forward, a migraine coming in fast from the green light that illuminated his confinement. Zell's eyebrows were stuck in a deep furrow, in permanent confusion. His only other view in the tiny cell was the opposite of the hallway through the large indestructible glass walls. It gave him a taste of entertainment as he watched SeeD Officers walk by occasionally. Some with his fellow incarcerated inmates. Some he had put in there himself.

_I trusted Seifer and this is where I land. Way to go, Zell. Good job handing over your life to the one man who could destroy it. _

_Selphie…_

_What's going to happen to me now…? _

_How the fuck am I going to get outta this one?_

He jumped from the dull clack that echoed in the hallway through the steel door. Not bothering to look, he instead closed his eyes and tucked his legs upward, resting his forearms on the knees.

"Zell!"

Selphie's sweet voice sounded so far away from him. She pounded on the large glass wall, yelling into the speakerbox next to the door.

Zell swiftly stood, heading towards the wall, pressing his hands against the thick glass.

"Thatcher asked me to come see you—I've only got a few minutes. How are you?" Selphie held back her tears, pressing her hands over Zell's through the barrier.

"I'm ok—are you safe? Wh-what's happening out there-did Seifer and Nino make it?

"I'm fine, there's still investigations. I've heard they found enough evidence to bind you over for incarceration—but Zell—Squall won't listen to me—refuses to see me, won't let me leave Garden!"

"He has to, dammit!" Zell pounded on the glass. He stepped backwards, his hands going to his unstyled mop of hair, pulling at the roots. "Selphie…I swear…"

"Zell…baby…it's not looking good."

The mess of a blonde slumped in a heap on the floor, his hand against the glass for support. He curled his fingers into a fist, feeling powerless. All he could do was stare at the leather buckle shoes Selphie wore on her tiny feet.

"FUCK!" He shouted and banged his head into the glass. "WHY DID I LISTEN TO THAT SON-OF-A-BITCH!"

Selphie dropped to her knees, her fingers brushing the glass in a struggle to comfort her love. "Baby, I'm going to call Matron."

"No! She's—"

Selphie sniffled. "She's dying—I know. I've known for a while-but we have no other choice!"

Zell bit his lip in deep concentration. His brow wrinkled, the lines becoming more defined across his skin.

"Zell, what am I supposed to do? Should I call your mother? I'm so powerless here…"

"Power…" Zell repeated. The wrinkles in his brow disappeared as his face relaxed. His eyes searched around the floor, as if replaying memories in his mind.

Selphie's expression dropped to the same degree as Zell's, her large eyes expanding wider as the two looked at each other, standing slowly.

"Her powers—"

"Yes—s-s-she could—"

"Of course! Squall would only—"

"Listen to her—"

"Where—"

"Esthar! Laguna! Oh my god! I'll—"

Selphie scrambled to her feet, the heels of her shoes clopping on the floor as Zell pounded on the glass, yelling to her. "Go! Run—get a hold of 'Sis' and tell her to get here immediately!"


	2. Double Agent

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own SquareEnix, Final Fantasy VIII, its characters or anything in between. I do not make profit from writing fanfiction._

This story contains content suitable for adults. If you are below the age of 18, I would suggest finding something else to read. _Story Ingredients: Abuse, Angst, Corruption, Death, Drugs/Alcohol, Non Consensual, Original Characters, Romance, Transformation, Violence_

**Twelve: Double Agent**

Punching in a code to override the locking mechanism on Nino's room, Squall entered quietly. The door made a hiss and clicked in its locking position, the border around the door turning from a pale faint blue to a vivid red. His eyes trailed to the prisoner on the bed as she slept. He folded his arms over the black t-shirt he wore, making his chest more defined. Taking in a breath, he held it when he noticed her restraints were loosened, giving her more room to lie on her side. She had moved much during the night, the thin blanket she had previously draped over her was now tangled in her legs, exposing her bare thighs and calves. One hand draped across her abdomen, as another rested by her cheek. Her long brown hair fanned out like a halo of curls, making her look so innocent. Squall walking closer, pulling a rolling chair along with him.

The sleeping woman stirred in her sleep as he sat down next to her, quietly placing Nino's journal in her lap, just out of her reach. His head cocked in interest to the hand next to her lips, watching as it twitched infrequently.

…'_Seifer caught me trying to escape. This time he dragged me back to his Sorceress, slandering me. Where is the man I once cared about so much?'..._

Squall remembered a journal entry Nino had written earlier. He pushed her fingers straight, noting the faint scar that ran across her palm.

…'_To prove my 'loyalty' to his Sorceress and her Knight, I ran my hand along the sharp edge of his Gunblade and offered my blood as a commitment to her stratagem. They believed me.'..._

Squall traced the scar, making her hand clench around his fingers. He pulled away immediately, watching as she stirred again, this time her mouth opening to speak. "Squall Leonhart." Nino identified as her eyes opened, glancing at her warden. "I was waiting for your visit."

"How did you know it was me?"

Nino licked her lips, her throat parched. "I could tell you a bogus lie, but it's because the kind doctor told me you would be here. The scar only confirmed my guess." She pointed on her own face, tracing a line between her eyes.

Believing her statement to be sarcasm, Squall sat upright. His face wore a cold, tense expression. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you know who I am." Nino's pale lips curled into a tinge of a sweet smile. "Everyone knows who you are, Squall Leonhart. You're the one who kept Ultimecia from fulfilling her destructive campaigns, achieving time compression would have destroyed everything we knew." She repositioned her head, still weak but very much awake. "And you're the man who saved us all." Squall huffed, looking at Nino with skepticism. "You certainly have high regard for someone who you were planning to kill." Nino shook her head. "I never killed a person who didn't justifiably deserve it." She sat up, watching as Squall's body stiffened.

"Whatever." No one else would have noticed the shift in character Squall was putting out. "Explain yourself. Why did you try to kill Selphie Tilmitt in Trabia?"

"_Did_ I kill Selphie Tilmitt?"

Squall was quick to respond, but Nino dished out her responses faster than he could think them up. She grew serious, her hands gripping onto the sheets. "You won't see it this way but…I am in your debt. Because of you and your team, you saved my life." She froze, her eyes searching the blanket in front of her, spotting the journal by her feet.

Squall could tell she desperately wanted to reach for it.

"Let's talk." Squall stretched an arm forward, pulling the journal toward him. "What reasons did you have to be in Dollet?" Nino laughed sadly, pulling her knees as far to her chest as the restraints would allow. "I wasn't doing anything wrong. A free girl is allowed to go where she can wander."

"I suppose, but not when—"

"You think it was me trailblazing across Galbadia."

Squall leaned back into the chair; his chin pointed downward, his steel blue eyes watching her. "…Yes."

"You think I had plans to light up Dollet too."

A smirk crept on Squall's lips. "Yeah."

Nino inhaled, looking up at the ceiling, watching the shadows of the tree out the window behind her dance on its tiles. "That Seifer and I designed this trap—"

"The only way you'd know this is if it were true."

"Not true." Nino's eyes darted to Squall. "I just know how pure intentions can be…misinterpreted."

Squall sat in silence. Searching in the back of his mind for anything he could further coerce out of the young assassin. "Misinterpreted…even when I have hard evidence of the two of you secretly meeting in Timber."

Nino's head turned to the proud man. "There was no such thing."

"Oh?" He reached in his back pocket, pulling out his phone. After a few short moments, he played the recording back to Nino. The very one that Arc had recorded the night that Seifer and Nino reunited in the rain.

Nino sat in silence, concentrating to the audio. Tears stung her eyes when Seifer spoke.

The recording stopped, and Squall crossed his arms. He waited with silent triumph, expecting Nino to deliver another explanation, another retort or even a desperate confession. Squall knew the reason behind her crying. He knew it was because she was caught, she was finally caught and there was nothing she could do but cry.

The sound of the airtight lock releasing caused Squall and Nino to turn their heads.

"Headmaster, I have…" Barton dropped his jaw at the sight of the prisoner. "Nino Mireille…"

"Barton Dodonna…" Nino pressed her back against the bed, her voice barely a whisper.

Squall was too oblivious to notice Nino's new disposition and watched as Barton came closer.

"What is it? I'm in the middle of something…"

"Leonhart…!" Nino reached for him. Their fingers touched as Squall's own rested on the guard-rail.

"I came here to inform you that Rinoa Heartilly is here with Lillia…" Barton turned, sliding a keycard across the scanner by the door. The lights illuminated red again. He turned back to Squall, smiling as he ran his hands through his hair.

"Oh. Tell them I will be in my office in half an hour." Squall motioned toward the door, "If you will…"

Barton cracked his knuckles through the worn gloves shielding his hands. "Sir, it seems I have other…_promised_ obligations that must be taken care of first." He stepped forward, his eyes on Squall.

"Barton, I'm ordering you to step outside. I will be out there shortly."

Barton chuckled again, removing his black leather gloves.

Nino drew in a breath, her legs pushing her backward into the mattress. "Leonhart, _please_…get out of here…" Her voice was now audible to Squall. She knew he heard her when he had turned his head to look at her, as if he could not process her warning. Nino's eyes widened as she opened her mouth to scream, catching the glint of steel as it vanished. Before Squall could react, he felt as though Barton punched him in the stomach. He fell backward into the chair looking up at the SeeD Officer looming over him, a short bloodied blade sticking out of his hand.

Squall's eyes trailed down to his shirt as well as his hands. He lifted the shirt, watching the blood trickling down onto his jeans. There was no pain at first, his body going into shock almost immediately.

"Forgive me, but it is my duty as an assassin to ensure that our secrets remain hidden, sir." Barton removed his SeeD jacket, placing it on the counter and resting his hands on his hips.

Squall frowned, unsure of what Barton was talking about.

"Leonhart! Don't move!" Nino struggled with her restraints, fearing her death as Barton turned to her. She looked to the hard square remote down by her hip, slamming her hand down and pressing the emergency call button.

Barton smiled, dropping the blade. "My dear, they can't bypass my security code…we're gonna be in here for a while."

Squall grunted in pain, his hand pressing hard onto the wound. Its pain grew in intensity as it overtook his senses. A familiar panic was beginning to set in, only this time it was not a large shard of ice in his chest. It felt like his internal organs had been set on fire. He groaned louder, leaning forward, his head low.

Barton cracked his knuckles again and thrust his elbow into the base of Squall's neck.

Squall fell to the ground, the agony nearly unbearable as he looked up at Barton in disbelief, using his feet to push himself away.

"Nothing to say?"

Nino looked up at the Assassin as he loomed over her, his head tilted in curiosity. "Who gave the order?" Nino demanded to know, yelping as Barton yanked the bed sheet off Nino, her legs exposed to the cold air. "You know how these things go…" Barton's hand playfully ran up Nino's thigh.

Hardly conscious, he began to see in tunnel vision, his hearing fading in and out, as if he was in a mineshaft. Squall would not give up, he needed to get his keycard to the pad on the wall and release the lock before it was too late.

"How much are you being paid for this job?" Nino's eyes were dark and voice was low. "How much could I pay you to just turn around and leave?" Nino began to draw in a shaken breath. "So many lives have been taken…why be one of them?"

Barton's attention turned to the exit, watching as two orderlies pounded on the door. He shook his head. "You need to understand that this is for the best." Barton long fingers wrapped around Nino's neck, forcing her to look at him.

"It—no! It doesn't have to be l-like this!" She coughed out, feeling his fingers curl around her, pressing against her windpipe.

"But it does…" His other hand brushed the hair from her face. Barton's strong grip caused her to scream, flailing her body to free herself out of his grasp. "The decline of the Unified Council will bring about a change. Don't you understand?" He leaned into his hold, her body pressing into the hospital bed. His voice was unusually calm. "Don't you understand that it was never about you and Torrin producing an heir so much as it was _your_ death that would bring about the change? The Great Mother had deemed it so…" Barton's blue eyes sparkled as he watched Nino's own roll into the back of her head. She clawed at his wrist, her body convulsing underneath his hand as she became more and more suffocated.

"Don't worry. It will all be over soon."

Barton droned out all noise in the room, the frantic alarms blaring from the machines, the banging on the doors, the sounds of Tomé and Quistis screaming from the hallway.

Squall pushed through the trembles and uncontrollable shaking as he reached the door. He reached in his pocket, seeking out the keycard. "Uuuh…" His eyes followed the trail of blood, groaning in frustration when he realized that he had set the card on top of the counter, across the room.

"S….Sto…." Tears streamed down Nino's face as she choked on her own words. Her wrists bled from the metal cuffs cutting deep into her skin as she reached to Barton, fighting for her life. The physical trauma was forming early stages of petechiae around her eyes.

Outside the room, a group of orderlies began to try to override the code Barton had used to lock the door. They pushed through the urgency, frantically trying to get inside before it was too late. Much further down the hall, Tomé kept Seifer and Lux at a distance, neither of them knew who was in the room down the hall just like everyone else watching the commotion. The patients did not acknowledge either of them, keeping their attentions to the panic and disorder.

"You two have to get back inside. Stay in there and don't come out."

"What's happening? Tomé, let me help!" Seifer insisted, feeling her hands on his chest as she pushed him backward.

Tomé pressed her tongue against her cheek, hating to lie. "Squall is down there trying to subdue a patient and if he sees the two of you—" She gave Seifer a look of desperation, hoping he would fall for it.

Seifer nodded, pulling Lux back into his room. As the door locked, Seifer tugged at his navy blue shirt collar, his throat feeling scratchy and clouded.

Tomé darted down the halls, running as fast as her feet would carry her to the doors. She arrived just as they opened. The frightened doctor shoved the staff and patients away, making sure she was the first inside. Quistis followed quickly after, immediately going to Squall's aid. He had barely made it back to the door in time to open it for the orderlies and in that time, he had fallen unconscious, losing too much blood.

Tomé fell toward Nino, shielding her from Barton as an orderly ripped the strong man away from the fading young woman.

Nino gasped, her breathing sounding rattled. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her hands dropping to her side. Tears uncontrollably fell as her bloody hands gripped onto the white fabric of Tomé's lab coat.

"I need oxygen…help me get these cuffs off of her!" Tomé fumbled with the keys as she released the cuffs around Nino's arms. "Barton, what the _hell_ is your problem?"

Nino felt as though she had been awakened in the middle of a deep sleep. Unaware of what exactly happened. Her body was barely strong enough for her to sit up on her own. Her wrists were cut deep, her eyes bloodshot as she caught her breath, having a hard time with the process. She felt Tomé pull an oxygen mask over Nino's face, pressing it to her mouth.

"You're safe… we got you."

"Assa…assaa…." Nino breathed, her eyes drooping from exhaustion. Her hand lifted pointing at Barton, who was detained by two strong staff members. The even stronger man shrugged them off, reaching behind himself and pulling out his pistol. He pressed it to his temple, staring at Nino.

"Remember, we will start a revolution with their deaths. Welcome to the birth of the new beginning."

Nino blinked, the spray of blood had hit her face, along with everyone else in the line of trajectory. Out of everyone who had jumped from the sudden loud gunshot, Nino was the only one who sat completely still, still looking onward at the brain matter that freshly painted the cabinets.

"NO! Squall!"

Nino closed her eyes, exhaling softly as people around her froze in time. She slipped out of the bed, feeling nearly no pain whatsoever. Almost in her own trance, she floated to Squall's body, her motions moving as fast as they would in thick mud, slow motion, half speed. Everyone else around her moved slower than that, if at all.

Quistis was calling behind her for anyone to help, her hands pressed tight over the wound in Squall's stomach. Her voice faintly droned in and out, a single sound wave, trapped in time. Nino kneeled next to the dying man, gently pushing Quistis' hands aside and replacing them with her own.

Her eyes closed, her skin illuminated with an aqua hue as she concentrated on the wound. She groaned in pain, letting the energy flow through her and into Squall's body.

Squall's color returned to him as he drew in a rough gasp. His body shot straight up and as he took in his first breath, he felt his heart begin to beat again. In that instant he turned to Nino, watching with amazement as she opened her eyes.

"I have read your past memories, your dreams, your fears and flaws. I understand why it is that you refuse to listen to those you do not trust. I understand now why there is pain in your eyes, hatred in your voice…I feel this pain, now. I know this hatred…"

Squall blinked, unsure of what was happening. Trying to speak was useless, his voice was so distant, even he could not hear it. He felt a cold shiver through his veins, but his core felt warm, almost extraordinary.

"Now it's your turn."

Squall drew in a sharp breath as Nino's hands went to his temples, the blue completely encompassing them both. Nino watched as Squall's pupils dilated as she transferred her memories into him. A scream escaped Squall as searing pain shot through his body. So many memories flashed before his eyes and before he realized, he was back in the hospital. The environment returned to its original surroundings in the Garden's Infirmary with everyone still frozen in place. Squall watched as Nino smiled, her body still glowing. Her smile faded to a frown as she groaned, falling forward into Squall's arms.

Squall lifted her up, taking her to the bed. The speed he walked was equal to the movements she had made toward him. The people around them were frozen, unaffected. Her feet streaked the white sheets with blood as he placed her on the mattress.

Nino's pale hand touched his and she closed her eyes. The blue disappeared as everything resumed motion, leaving everyone in the room wondering how Squall was suddenly in a different place, without the stab wound. Quistis looked down at her hands, as they were now on the floor, soaked in the red matter.

Soaked in his own blood, Squall blinked as he stumbled toward the exit. As he turned he watched as a nurse began to fasten Nino's ankles in restraints. He waved his hand to her, "No…that-those aren't–I don't think they're necessary…"

Orderlies moved out of his way as he shifted out of the room. He walked in a daze, looking down at his hands. They were sticky with blood. Where did the wound go?

_I'm losing my goddamn mind. _

Quistis ran out the door, wanting to examine the miracle. "Squall!" She caught up to him, turning him around and lifting his shirt. Her latex gloved hands searched his stomach for the wound, finding nothing but drying blood. "No wound…how is this possible?"

Squall thought back of the time in the D-District Prison. When he had awoke in his pod and found that he was completely fine. He should have died in the Parade when he was impaled with the ice shard but he didn't. "…Nino Mireille is a Healer." He speculated.

Quistis' expression relaxed she felt his hand in hers.

"Quis, she showed me things that I… I need to think on this. Just make sure she is taken care of. Make sure she's comfortable until we can figure something out."

As he glanced up, he watched as Seifer froze in place at the end of the hall.

Seifer drew back, watching Squall like a predator—feeling something wasn't right. His expression changed when a figure caught his attention behind Squall.

The worn out, exhausted Headmaster turned, watching a White SeeD donning a blue sash walking toward him. Two armed SeeD's accompanied them.

As they approached, Tomé was heading in the same direction as they had, her target being Squall.

"Headmaster Leonhart?" The Courier SeeD looked Squall up and down, almost wanting to question his bloody appearance. "Sir, do you need urgent care?"

"Not necessary. It's handled."

"Handled?" Tomé removed her lab coat; bloody handprints ran along the arms of the sleeves.

"Not now, Tomé."

"No! I'm through keeping my mouth shut!" She threw the coat on the ground, stomping toward Squall. "I've got a corpse on its way to the morgue after shooting himself in the head! I have traumatized interns and my staff is still trying to figure out how _you're_ still alive after being stabbed! You've got the wrong people running loose and choking out my patients while the right ones are tied down to hospital beds! How can you consider this '_handled'_?" Tomé thought of nothing more suiting than to spit in the face of the man who created the chaos in her Infirmary. She waited for his response, expecting him to tell her how irrational and unprofessional she was being. She waited for him to give her any reaction but instead, Squall stood in silence, staring at the White SeeD who cleared his throat, undoubtedly uncomfortable with the outburst he just witnessed.

"I have an urgent message from Edea Kramer…"

He stretched a purple envelope to Squall, Edea's wax seal safely protecting its contents. Squall stared at the seal, unable to register what this SeeD had said. "Is-is Matron…" The White SeeD shook his head, "No, but she doesn't have much time. You are to report to the Villa immediately. I suggest you and your party brings attire for the entombment…" The White SeeD looked at Squall's clothes again. "I would clean up for your journey as well." Squall saluted the brown-eyed soldier and looked down at the envelope in his hand. He slid his thumb under the seal and broke the red wax, promptly unfolding the envelope and reading its contents.

_It's a list. _

In Edea's weak handwriting, he saw the names of his comrades written in fine gold ink. At the end, were two names:

_Seifer Almasy_

_Nino Mireille _

It was as if Matron had already known Nino would be in their custody. Squall turned his eyes up to Seifer, who remained in place, his eyes focused on the envelope that Squall kept tight in his hand.


	3. Pieces Form the Whole

**Disclaimer:** _As much as I think it'd be awesome, I do not own SquareEnix, Final Fantasy VIII, its characters or anything in between. I do not make profit from writing fanfiction.  
_This story contains content suitable for adults. If you're below the age of 18, I'd suggest finding something else to read. _Story Ingredients: Abuse, Angst, Corruption, Death, Drugs/Alcohol, Non Consensual, Original Characters, Romance, Transformation, Violence_

**Author's Note: **_Wow! I am so sorry for the lengthy delay in updates everyone! I haven't been able to put aside writing time but thankfully I've got some coming up in the future where I'll be able to post everything up to date in the span of a week. Woo! __Reviews are desperately needed!__ I cannot tell you how important it is that I read your feedback on this story! I need to stop typing because I've stayed up all night revising this and now the letters on my word document are jiggling like jelly. _

**Thirteen - Pieces Form the Whole**

Seifer opened his eyes, the turbulence of the airship jarring him awake from his nap. He looked down and discovered he had been covered up by a black fleece blanket. Finding the reason why his skin was damp, he moved the blanket aside and rubbed his eyes.

Quistis sat across from him in the cabin. Her fingers swiftly danced across the laptop keyboard in front of her. Line after line, she did not stop even when Seifer stood up.

"If you need anything, I can have the guard bring you something. I'm getting hungry myself." She offered as she typed when Seifer downed the last of the bottled water sitting in the seat across from him. He shook his head as he stretched, bending his body left, right, left and straight again. Stepping forward, he gazed in amazement at the wide bay windows that enclosed the front of the cabin. His eyes scanned the landscape, watching as the organic colors blurred together as the ship pushed onward.

He fanned the front of his black sweater, his skin tingling from being underneath such a hot blanket. His head ached from napping in such an uncomfortable chair. Seifer didn't understand why they wouldn't have beds for a ship that was meant to travel long distances. He wondered if it was just this cabin that didn't provide them. At least the seats reclined, otherwise his back would hurt worse than it already had. Trying to shake off the tension building in the room, he began to half-jog around the cabin large enough to seat twelve comfortably. Six chairs on each side, he looped in and out, trying to achieve a workout. All that time spent in hospital beds was beginning to make his skin crawl.

Quistis glanced up from her laptop screen, smiling as he waved his hand to her in acknowledgement. Nearly fifteen minutes had passed from the time he made his first lap. She closed the laptop and set it in the chair across from her. "I have good news, Seifer. Squall changed his mind. He's not sending you back."

"Isn't that fantastic…" He muttered as he passed the blonde again, looping around the chair in front of her. Working up a sweat, he pulled off his shirt and tossed it in an empty seat. The white beater underneath was almost too hot for him.

"It _is_ fantastic." Quistis grinned, watching him as he passed her again. "Zell is going on suspension and you're restricted to Garden until further notice but all will soon be well once again."

Seifer stopped, looking out the window in a blank stare as he adjusted his loose pants. He replayed what he had just heard his former Instructor declare. Out of breath, he turned to her and stuck a hand on the seat beside him. "Excuse me?"

Quistis continued to smile as she stood, walking to the intercom by the door. "You heard me. And you have me to thank for that!" She requested cold water and a hot tea to the guard outside and turned back to Seifer. "I threatened Squall that if he didn't, I would resign. I'm sure that's not why he changed his mind but I like to think so." Her cheery attitude was the last thing Seifer wanted to hear. He blinked a few more times before stepping forward. "You really think that'll fix everything in your happy little world? If-if you don't…" Seifer stumbled over his words, his thoughts overlapping one another as he tried to get his point across. "I can't tell if you're trying to be serious or if you're pulling my leg…really, '_all will soon be well?'_ Are you joking?"

Quistis' was saved from the verbal confrontation as soon as the door opened with a young SeeD cadet walked in with a tray. Seifer watched as she quietly set it on the desk secured to the floor. With a salute she left and the door was securely locked once again. Quistis had realized her err in the statement and gasped, shaking her head. "Seifer I didn't mean it like—"

He held up a hand, looking away from Quistis. "It must be so easy for you to think that everything is fine…"

"No! Seifer—I understand!"

It took a lot of restraint for Seifer not to grab Quistis by the arms and shake her. "So you've experienced something like this? You—you've actually_—how_ do you understand?" Seifer looked down at his fists, unclenching them made him see the deep indentations his nails had left in his palms. "Instructor, you can't just say that you understand when you don't even know a _fraction_ of what I've been through. I'm almost tempted to beg Squall to do Galbadia a favor and put one between my eyes!"

Quistis couldn't think of a conventional response to atone for what she said. She quietly collected their refreshments and apologetically offered a bottle of water to Seifer. As he snatched the drink away from her she slowly sat down, sipping on the strong tea with her eyes on the lemon wedge soaking in the liquid. Her posture displayed that she was remorseful and Seifer could clearly see that but he wasn't about to let her know that he felt guilt for lashing out at her. It wasn't her fault, but she was just as ignorant as Squall, Tomé—everyone. Nobody knew because nobody wanted to listen. His sullen face looked out the window, keeping silent.

"You're very right, I don't understand." Quistis shook her head and pulled her glasses away from her face. "If it had been Squall—I don't think I would be standing where you are. I wouldn't have had as much restraint and patience as you had. I'm sorry, Seifer."

Seifer nodded through a slipshod fashion. He stared at the bottle of water, watching as the condensation soaked his fingers. Seifer wiped his wet hand on his jeans as he sat the bottle down and slipped his shirt back on. He wasn't in the mood to exercise any more than Quistis wanted to argue. He fell hard into the chair behind him and quickly found his posture fading away. Like a child, he spun the chair, tilting his head back and watching as the room spun.

His feet kicked up the speed and before he realized, he was looking at the series of black, blue, yellow and silver hues—the colors of Balamb. Quistis was no longer an image in his mind. There was nothing. He felt empty and alone. He looked up, staring at the light above him and wondered if this was something similar to what Nino had seen before she died.

He speculated if it was all a dream or if he was imagining the whole thing. If Torrin was really his brother, what would this mean? Why him? Why did it have to be someone so malicious? Growing up, he had secretly hoped his family was out there, somewhere, now he just wanted to end anybody associated with his bloodline. If Torrin was what represented the Almasy clan, why would he want that to continue? Could he be what stands between him and a life of Seifer's own? There were too many questions that Seifer could not answer. The 'Guardian Force,' _demon—_whatever it was, where did it come from? Was it still in Seifer's body? Will it return? He was tempted to say its name to find out but instead bit his lower lip, afraid that it would destroy the entire ship if it were summoned. There were too many questions that were not meant to be answered by anyone.

So much had happened and it all felt like a wicked delusion to Seifer. As he slowly detached himself from reality and became lost in his spinning chair, Seifer wondered if pleading insanity just to live in a padded room for the rest of his life would be easier than this. His eyes drifted down from the light above his head to the room around him, watching everything move in a blur. With each spin he watched as Quistis sat drinking her tea. Every time he passed her she had moved to a slightly different position, making her look like some terrible stop motion cartoon.

With another hard push of his leg he spun hard and on the next pass of Quistis he found something different in her place. He saw a large dark form seated in the chair and its eyes tore into Seifer's mind. Before he could process what he had seen he was coming around for another look. As his eyes made another pass he saw the figure rushing off the chair. It was coming at him with its mouth agape, its face twisted into a foul smile and rows of jagged teeth ready to rend flesh.

Seifer's combat instincts served him as he planted a foot, pushing himself out of the chair and into the wall. He spun as he reached the wall and was ready to attack. As he raised a fist he realized it was only himself and Quistis in the cabin. "Seifer!" Quistis quickly sat her tea down and stood, hesitating to move when her colleague threw up a hand. Seifer refused to admit what he had seen that had invaded his space and he had hoped Quistis hadn't noticed. It was hard for her not to when he had launched himself out of his seat, panting in a cold sweat. There was nothing he could say to her that would help her understand. "It's nothing…I just feeling a little claustrophobic." he managed to say. Seifer hoped that see wouldn't press the issue and thankfully he received his wish. Quistis instead began to apologize, talking about how she couldn't imagine what he was going through and so forth. She was sorry for the incident in Dollet and she wished she knew what she could do for him. "I like to think we've known each other long enough for you to know that if there's _anything_ that I can do for you…"

He scanned the room for a moment as Quistis continued to talk and when he felt that it was indeed just the two of them in the cabin he seated himself slowly on the floor with his back to the wall. Seifer tried hard to allow himself to relax, thinking that it was just the stress he was under that was causing the issue. As he slowed his breathing he heard Quistis mention leaving for a moment to get something. Seifer closed his eyes and allowed himself to unwind. He felt the stress of the past weeks lessen and dull away and even the incident moments ago were now just a memory. It was just as respite was upon him and Seifer's hearing began to fade that he heard another voice in the room. He sighed lowly wondering why Quistis was trying to stay quiet with no success at all. Then the whispering voice grew louder. He felt his stomach twist in knots as the voice grew louder still, its foul hissing whisper sounding to him like faint swarms of flies. The GF from Dollet was still with him, and was finding ways around every attempt of Seifer to block it out.

Shifting uncomfortably, Seifer covered one of his ears, hoping that Quistis had already left the room. "Please…go away…" Seifer moaned lowly, closing his eyes tight. A glimpse of the creature reaching for him flashed in his mind and he opened them again.

.̫͙̐̍̑̽̇.͚̘̘̜͖̿̈̓͢͟͜.̧̏̄̀̊̕.̸̧̰̥ͦ̐̊́ͩ́͘M̴̛̞̹̣͉̺̭̳̖̃ͨͤ̊ͥẙ̵̖͚͇͍̫ͭ͒̄ͫͧ̕͡ ̡̓̓̄͒͐͡͏̜̳̺̥͔͎̬̪̥m̱̱̪̳̆͑ͮ̑ͅa͇͓ͪ̄ͤͪ͂̔̇͘͜͡s̫̦̗̚͢t̬͙ͬͯ͂͗̚͢͞e͛̽͏̮̱̰̞r̶̢̩̜͓̬ͣ̀̂̈.̢̡̠̭̪͖̹̋ͨͭ͗ͣ̌.̟͓̠̲̫̠ͥ͊̂̎̋ͫ̒ͫͯ͢.̫̝͈̯͂ͤͫ̒̕͟͜ͅ.̣̭̑

"Stop it!" Seifer hissed. The voice was everywhere. On the walls, the ceiling, the floor, everywhere. He looked around but no one was there.

.̶̢̲̘̅͡ͅ.͙̺͚͉̬͉̽̆̇͆͒͑̚ͅͅ.̧ͩ̉ͫ̋҉̲̟́.ͨ̔́͆̄̓ͬ͏̷̤̗͓̘͇Y̴̆ͬͮ͏̧̘̣̫̦̼̦̤̘öͫͥ̇̋̏͂ͨ͏̕ṷ̧̞̙̬̺̻̦̟̽̓̅ͪ̿r͛ͤ͑̈́͏̣͖͇ ͛̈͂ͬ̑ď̷͙̬͔̹̥̞̳̈́̒ͤy͍̱͙̯̆̊͑̂͘ͅi̧̬͍̗ͦ͑ͬ͟n͈͇̘̠ͪ͆͘͢g̢̧̦̠̖͚̤͔̊͐ͧͮ͜ ̴̢̮̲͖͉̲̗̓͐̑ͮͬ̾̌̊ͯw̽͗̄ĭ͕̤̋̒̀t̫̜͉̹̼͍̄ͯ̅c̜̯͈͙͈͊̾̽ȟ͉͔̒͞͡ ̛͚̦̙̼̞͐ͧ̓͗͛̒ͮ͘͘ͅw̢̢̯̖̺͕̙̯̠͊ͧ̅ͬ͒i̧̱̱͙̟̻ͣ̇͡ḻ̘̜͖̼̠̣̄́ͮ̓ͪ͒̓l͙̜̙ͨ͑͒̑ͩ̀̌̑͢͞ͅ ̸̡͗̓̊̿n̵̸̼̪̋̾͑͊̉ͫ͑̀o̡̨̫̬̔͊͢t̛̟̹̺̼ͧ̔̀͞ ̡̠̉ͧb̛̩̞͖͎̉ͬ͋ͣͨ̀e̡̬͇̭̪̬̳͚̹ͣ̈̾̏̊ͨ̚ ̳̤̽͋͒̓̑̍a̾͌ͥͮ̉͘͡҉̗̪̞̞̼͔ͅb̸̟͚̉ͧ̆ͩ̀ļ̬̠͈̍̄ͫ͞ȇ̶͙̲͙ͪ̉ͅ ͧ̒ͯ͏̡̤͔͉̘̖̥̲̝ͅţ̻̪̰͉̫̼ͣ̄̄ͮ̾̓͗ͮ͘͡o̜͕̰̱̥̦͔͛̉ͦ̇͛̃ ͉̣̦̜̰́́͑ͮ̉̔̇͋̕h̵̙̑ͬ̓͛͆ͪͯͅeͦ̍̎͒ͦͯ͢͢҉̻͖̺̳l͉͔̯̗̝̽̂̂̊ͅp̟̠̺̥͂ͦ̄̂ ̸̨̗͙̰̪͉̂ͨͯ̒̍̓y͇͈͍͓ͭ̏ͫ̄̌ͭͪò̧͉̥̗͕̥̖̤̗ͨ͞ͅȗ͇͇̩̹͓͓̊̈́́̓ ̦͖̳̥́͆͟͠n͚͚̩͙̻͙̱ͣ̿ͤ̀͂͗͗́o̷̫̮̼͇̹̳̩̲͋ͩ̽͑͑̑̉̐̿w͚̙̓̊͗̓̆̉͒ͦͤ.̨̻̝̺̲͛.̵̛̰̲̠̦͍̣̗̊̽̊ͥͭ͒͋͡.̨͕̠̦͓͍̭̀́͗̋̍͊ͣ̉̽͡ ̴̑̐͐ͤ͐̈́̉ͧ̄҉̣͓̻͕̯ ͍̖̺̻̉̿͒ͤͦ̑

Seifer's body jolted. Something was poking into his brain and it made his head feel like it was in a vice, slowly tightening. He struck his own face, trying to snap out of the delusion. When the voice grew quieter, Seifer banged his head on the panel of the wall. Seifer tucked his legs to his chest and began to breathe in a hitching manner. A wave of emotion hit him and for a moment he felt like a small child, terrified of the spooky monster in his closet. Only this monster was taking the form of an uncontrollable demon, its black tendrils taking physical form and wrapping around Seifer's ankles. He drew in a sharp breath as chains wrapped around his legs, waist and lastly around his neck. The chains tightened and he leaned forward, desperately wanting to stand but couldn't. His feet felt like lead and the chain around his neck choked him as it bound him to the wall. He finally collected the strength to shoot up from the floor. Wildly pulling the chains off of himself as he did, Seifer found out that they were slick with a foul oil. Seifer desperately wiped the substance off onto his jeans, watching in shock as the oil seeped through his fingertips. He tried again, only to find his palms beginning to ooze the black grease as well.

.̒ͯͫ̒̌͂.̷̢̆̐ͤ.͖̝͖̥̦̇ͥͭ̓͒ͤM̦̪̝̔ă̶̶̇̍̂ͦ͒͋҉̼̻̬͈̞͇s̭͉̯͔̫͈̔̄̎̀ͣ̾̈́͑t̶̢̝̤̤̱͇̩ͪ̽̈ͨͫ̃͊̔͘ë̷̴̻͓̝̯̱̖́̄̉͊͑̽̂̆́r̵̸̝͚̮̲̳̔̈́͐͒̚͠,̡̗̞͔̭͆̐̚ ̦͈̯̞͕̭̦̮͋ͮͮ̐̃̔́͜͠a̾̀҉̙͍͖̣͈͓̱͙l̳͓̖̙̜̼̦͉̓̃ͬͭ̄̐ͨ͊̀͟͜l̵̔ͤ͌ͩ͋̋͏̛͉̠̰̲̖o̧̺̬̻̟ͬ͟w̸̬̻̭̱̲̅́ͥ͗ͨ͟ ̤̩̻͇̦̂͌͊́m̧͚͇̦̹͓̹̮ͦ̐ͩ̿ͬ̀̈ͯ͠e̴͓̝̱͚̬̥̭̺ͪ ͚͉͈̦̐̆̇̾ͦ̒̃̾͂͟ͅc̞̞͚̯̹̣̘̭ͨͥͣ͞͠o̸̅͒n̟̮̭̫͚͂͑ṯ̵̢͎̯͔̃ͫ̒̽ͅṛ͍̓ö̯̠̥̣̋̾ͩ̕l̯̣͉̝ͦ̐̒ͤ͒͐̚͡.͓̖̗̙̻͔͆̍͌ͤ.̵͔̯̤̯͉̓ͯ̏̌̒̃͐̉͘.̡̮̘̞̉ͯ̐ͨ́̈ͤ͢

"NO!" Seifer felt the chains wrap around his neck again and pull him into the wall. His body shuddered from the impact and the breath was knocked out of his lungs. He grasped at the chains and tried to pry them from his neck. Very quickly his controlled motions became frantic and then they degenerated into frenzy. He clawed like an animal against the restraints around his neck finding his flesh more often than the chains. He reached behind his neck and dug hard to find a spot he could grasp and after a moment he found just that. He thrust his fingers hard into the minute crevice between the chains and pulled with all of his strength and rage. "Get off of me!" He shouted, pulling at the chains again. Whatever it was that had him to the wall began to yank the chains upward. A throttled gag escaped Seifer's throat as he felt his body rise higher until the tips of his shoes hardly touched the floor. Tears streamed down his flushed cheeks as he looked up at the monster causing him so much harm.

Quistis approached the door to her and Seifer's cabin with the airship's assigned Medical Tech, a shorter blonde man with a pair of thick round glasses and walked with a limp closely followed Quistis. Before she opened the door she turned to the Tech and with eyes full of uncertainty. "Let me talk to Seifer first before you walk in."

The SeeD Tech looked to her questioningly and adjusted his glasses. "May I ask why, Ms. Trepe?"

"Something just tells me we're not going to get through the next nine hours of this flight." She looked down at the capped syringe in the Tech's hand. "You said that will help him rest. No serious side effects?"

"He'll wake up feeling rested. This one has been diluted with saline so it's strong enough to put him out, but weak enough to wake him up if we need to." The man standing before her smiled and gave her a reassuring nod and Quistis allowed herself to smile. Her smile quickly disappeared as she heard Seifer yelling from inside the cabin. She pushed the door controls and rushed into the room to find she was completely unprepared for what she found. Seifer stood pressed against the wall clawing at the back of his neck and head like an animal caught in a hunters trap. Blood had begun to coat his fingers and tiny strands of hair fell as his hands feverishly clawed and screamed at his invisible assailant. Quistis rushed over to him and grabbed him by the wrists and began to call Seifer's name. When he wouldn't respond, her hand struck across his face. Her face went pale when Seifer's head reeled back to her. His eyes were black and glossy like pools of liquid obsidian, wide and feral.

In a flash his lids fluttered and after a few blinks his eyes were again their natural blue. She could feel him shaking as if whatever had just happened was the direst threat to his life that he had ever faced. He winced as he turned his head to find the Medic removing a syringe from his arm. The room began to spin as Seifer's eyelids grew heavy and his muscles lost all their youthful strength. He shook his head as he felt himself falling backwards. Seifer began to whisper to Quistis, "No! Don't make me sleep… please no!" Quistis' eyes began to tear up as she saw the terror in Seifer's manic expression. "Shhhhh," she whispered calmly, "Everything's going to be just fine. This is just to help you rest until we get to Good Hope. I'm not going…" Seifer wanted to hear the rest of Quistis' reassuring words but the darkness drowned them out quickly. His last conscious feeling was relief when he discovered that this sleep was filled with nothing but rest.

As a SeeD, prior to Squall's promotion to Headmaster he had recently completed a formal training class for advanced officers in interrogation. In the course, Squall learned the five stages and had them memorized by the end of the program: Preparation, Evaluation, Bonding, Exposure and Confrontation. The Interrogation Officer taught Squall that Preparation was the most vital. It set up the stage for the steps following. Knowing as much information as possible before interviewing the suspect was key but was Nino really a suspect? Squall had a hard time understanding why she had saved his life, especially when his name was one of the very few at the top of the Target List. He hoped Nino would make the difference between success and failure for their original mission. There's always a snitch in every family after all, he thought to himself.

The next step was Evaluation. The moment you see the sususpect for the first time, you gain an impression of his or her personality. The moment Squall saw the suspect she was dying in a pool of blood. The second time she was napping, and the third…

The disheveled Headmaster approached Nino, noticing that she was holding onto her neck, staring blankly at the glass. Her body language was off putting, making her look like a victim more than a killer. The clothes she wore didn't help either. The collar of the blouse donated by Quistis was a solid navy blue button down. She left the first five buttons undone, a grey camisole underneath. The jeans were a vintage wash, grey with almost a brown tone. No tattoo's or other markings other than the obvious scars telling Squall that she had been knicked by a knife a few times in her life.

"Are you okay?"

Nino's body jumped from the sudden question. She stood, nearly trembling. "I didn't even hear you come in." Squall nodded, looking at the bruised handprints on her neck. "Are you sure that doesn't hurt?" Nino smiled, shrugging it off. "Just a little tender, Dr. Kadowaki said that I was fine." Her voice sounded hoarse and strained. She turned her back to him, her hands touching the windows, eyes shooting in all directions. They were reaching the coast that welcomed them to the Serengetti Plains in Centra.

After Garden eradicated the monsters in localized areas, civilization quickly returned, and settlements were rapidly growing. As they reached the harbor of Sigurðr, the largest city in Centra, Nino grinned wildly, looking back at Squall. He stood beside her, looking at where she was pointing. Vast plains of green lush fields blanketed around the town of Sigurðr and beyond, reaching the mountains in the far distance.

"It's beautiful…"

"Sure." Squall rubbed his forehead, walking back to his seat. He didn't feel up to it, but Squall needed to begin the next step. Flickers of thoughts and prior events had been shadowing him the entire trip and he wouldn't have a better opportunity than now. He reached into his pocket, holding onto a slender recording. "I need to ask you a couple questions if you're up to it..." His thumbs fumbled with the settings on the small electronic as Nino nodded. The interview had begun as he pressed the red button on the device and sat it down in the seat across from him.

"Is it by your request that you are pleading Sanctuary with Balamb Garden?" Nino folded her arms, her gaze never leaving the canopy. "Yes."

"Why?"

There was a moment of silence before Nino spoke again. Her eyes glistened as her voice grew quiet. "I like to think that my actions speak for themselves." Squall sighed, moving on. "It was clear Barton Dodonna knew who you were once he entered the hospital room." He watched her nod, distracted by the landscape. "Were you aware that he was in Garden?"

"I heard they had sent someone to infiltrate but I was never told who." Her fingers scratched at the wraps protecting her wrists. "Dodonna was an assassin for the Syndicate. They were pleased to hear he was looking for work especially with his background in the military and his father being the Galbadian former Headmaster." Nino turned to Squall, her thumbnail between her teeth. "Now it makes sense—it's very possible they had originally assigned Dodonna to the Trabia job. I was likely his replacement."

Squall kept his eyes on Nino, waiting for her to continue. He monitored how she changed her body language, shifting her weight back and forth, biting her nails as she concentrated.

"It's also possible that he was assigned to Balamb to report any information being discovered on the Syndicate. Also likely he would have killed you eventually." She was calm talking about it, but her nails running along the bandages wrapped around her wrists told Squall different. "As for knowing Dodonna, well, we had our disagreements. Many arguments were started only because he wanted to prove a point to impress Keim." Nino's tone seemed irritated to Squall, she continued to scratch at the bandages. "That's why my father liked him. He was brash and obsessed with the job."

"Loyal." Squall added, his eyes watching her as she mauled the white bandages. He found it strange that she was so willing to give him this information. Most people he had interrogated in the past were always apprehensive. "Being the only daughter to Keim Mireille must've been hard." Squall pried. "Did you ever do things you didn't want to do?

Nino forced out a laugh to keep herself contained. "Is that a trick question?" A big point Squall remembered clearly from training was to never ask ambiguous questions. "Let me ask something else then." Squall took a moment to word his next question carefully. He felt Nino was willing with her answers but there was something there that seemed to linger in the back of his mind. "

"Look, just ask me what you want to know and I'll tell you!" Nino clenched her jaw. For her to resist scratching the surface of the wounds was out of the question. She let out a short yell of frustration, sounding like she would cry. "Why does it hurt?"

"Stop." Squall approached her, taking one of her wrists in his hands and rubbing his palms across it gently. "It's the medication Tomé is trying to integrate into Garden. Without magic it's hard to cure wounds like these but we can extract certain plant elements and create effective remedies." He watched as she let out a long sigh, the pressure of his hands a relief to her. "Itching it is only going to make it hurt worse but massaging it slowly releases its healing compounds." Nino nodded, watching as the palm of Squall's hand grazed her wrist. The wounds were superficial, but felt comparable to a deep gash. She blew out her breath, letting Squall take her other wrist. The burning was fading, as well as the grating itch. "Explain to me again what your relationship with Seifer is. How did he know you were in Dollet?"

"I don't know. We hadn't spoken since Timber. And before that…he asked me to collect his things the day before his execution date. He didn't know I was there in Timber either. He found me when I was running from Torrin."

"What does that mean?" Squall looked at her, confused.

Nino's fingers trailed hem of her jacket until they fell to her side. "The first time I met Seifer was when Rinoa had brought him to a meeting with the Forest Owls—"

"You know Rinoa?" Squall stared slack-jawed disbelief.

"Of course. Caraway often hires my father for protection when he leaves Deling for business, among other things."

Squall couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Are you trying to tell me that Caraway does business with the Syndicate?"

"He's their most vital client. Anything he wants, they gladly execute." Nino took her wrist back and walked away. "Most of the time, he pays the Syndicate for protection, but every so often there's a request to take down his competition. You really didn't know?"

Squall wondered if Rinoa knew. It worried him, knowing she and their daughter were often at Caraways home in Deling. In the back of his mind he caught a glimpse something unfamiliar. He could see two girls running up a staircase carrying books. "So the two of you spent your summers together, you were close—like sisters." Squall muttered, thinking out loud. Instantly it was like a sudden rush of rapid memories rushed through his mind. He saw a glimpse of Seifer walking into a room with a very young Rinoa; she was smiling at a girl, Nino. Her mouth was moving but he couldn't hear what she was saying. He could see Nino and Seifer exchange handshakes. There was a connection. Was he imagining it or was it something else?

_How would I know that? _

He looked to Nino, uneasy when she wasn't surprised that he knew. On the contrary, it was like she was almost ashamed. "I transferred energy to you. When doing so, our memories in some way become exchanged—even ones from previous people I've…" Her voice drifted when she sat across from him, her hands pressed to her knees as she kept her back straight. The posture reminded Squall so much of Rinoa. "It sounds so weird saying it out loud. I suppose it's somewhat of a residual side effect. It's hard to explain any further than that, but I do know it's a very brief result. As your body completely heals itself, eventually imprinted memories disappear." She grew silent, looking to the glass canopy. "I've learned a lot about you in return."

"Really?" Squall was skeptical, and it showed heavy in his voice.

"…I know what it's like to wake up in the middle of the night and be afraid." Her eyelids closed, but her eyes continued to move. She was observing something deep inside her mind.

"You're fearful. You're waking up screaming and the blonde woman beside you is asking what's wrong. She's terrified and you push her away. I can see your dream, Ultimecia haunts you, and you are fearful of something more powerful will return and you won't be able to stop it." Her eyes opened and closed again, like she was playing back another image. "You're so angry that Cid pushed this responsibility on you when you can barely handle what's already set before you." Nino's eyes fluttered as Squall shrugged the chilling feeling running down his spine as she spoke, unable process his secrets spilling out. "You are also suffering. I can see Rinoa screaming at you, your daughter standing in her bedroom watching as you yell above her mother. You're throwing your hands in her face and pointing toward your child's bedroom. Rinoa is blaming you for ruining the relationship because you are so engrossed with your job." She opened her eyes, looking to Squall. "You love your daughter, and you want to make the world safe for her. So after Rinoa left, you went to your daughter's room and held her tight and you sang to her."

"Stop it—just stop!" Squall shifted uncomfortably, as though his body was cut open, exposed. "How did you come across this power?"

Nino's body relaxed, her expression was full of pity for Squall. "It's been so long I don't remember. I've tried to find out about it and Ede—_Ultimecia_ offered the knowledge in exchange for my servitude but never followed through with it. I'm sure I'll never know."

They sat in silence for a short moment before Nino stood again, walking back to the canopy. Squall leaned forward, watching her. "When I do it, it hurts. It's like I transfer the pain, but it still lingers from time to time."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not. I was able to save you from death, that's more important than a phantom pain." She smiled at him, a genuine smile.

Squall wondered. Maybe he had judged her too quickly. Perhaps all he knew of Nino was wrong, and what he knew of her from the journals and spending the time he had with this young assassin was her true self. He closed his eyes, a feeling of sanction washing over him. Without realizing it, he was assessing her memories, the way he would with any of his. He relived the events of Timber and Dollet. Even still, he couldn't just throw his trust into somebody he learned about through a crime syndicate.

Flash.

Nino, breathing hard, stood over the mass of muscle twice her size she had just defeated in the exercise. She lifted her boot from off the man's neck, stepping back and crouching down, taking a moment to breathe. The man scrambled to his feet, looking to Urvo, who nodded for him to return to the lines in front of them. Squall stood in line with a series of new recruits for the Syndicate. They were sweaty, dirty. Most were men, but a few were women also, all varying in age and race.

Nino and Breya stood with Urvo, who blotted his busted knuckle with a bloodied towel. He looked up, addressing the recruits. "You have been selected because you are all special at what you do. Most of you have been cast out of the military and some of you feel you have something to prove…" Urvo cracked a smile, tossing the towel to the stool behind him. "You will quickly learn that you will have to prove you're valuable in order to be part of what we are. If you can pass our trials, then you will be welcomed with open arms. If not, the reward of death will welcome you in her swift embrace. There's only one way in and one way out of the Syndicate. If you can't prove yourself, you will find yourself eight feet in the dirt by nightfall. Gone and forgotten." He let his words soak in before he spoke again. "You." He pointed to the man behind Squall. The blonde ex-military soldier stepped through Squall like he was a ghost and saluted to Urvo. He watched as Urvo turned his hand to Nino as she put her hair up in a bun, stepping backward. "Kill her."

Nino cracked her neck by rolling her head from side to side, her expression cold as the blonde made a noise in protest.

"S-Seriously?" His voice was thick with a Southern Balamb accent. "No way! I can't hurt a woman!"

"If you cannot handle hurting your target just because they're the opposite gender, I will have her kill you instead." Urvo lit a cigarette, getting comfortable on the stool. "You've got fifteen seconds."

Squall looked to Nino again, watching as she shifted her stance, readying for a fight. The blonde shook his head apologetically to Nino as she stretched her legs. It was like this exercise was nothing to her. She sighed, motioning for him to begin.

"He wants me to kill you. Do you understand that?"

Nino looked to Breya and Urvo, shrugging before she leaned forward, whispering loudly. "I'd believe it." Her arrogance sent chills down Squall's back. She was eerily calm, serious.

The man charged toward Nino and in a flash, Squall watched as she chopped his neck with the heel of her hand and then swiftly kicked his legs out from under him. It was quick, as if she had done it a hundred times over. She loomed over the man, "This is the problem with new rookies, Urvo. They always try the same recycled shit." Squall felt the annoyance in her voice.

He watched as Nino stepped over the man and approached the recruits. Her eyes burned into each of them as she motioned for Breya's whip. As it reached her hands, it quickly unraveled, slinking around her like a serpent. Squall could see that she was clearly frustrated, angry. He sensed the same emotions; something lingering in the back of his mind told him that her anger was targeted toward the situation, the moment. Cracking it, she struck a man beside Squall. The entire room jumped as Nino showed a side of herself that reminded Squall so much of his former enemy. Her eyes scorched through him just as Seifer's had when he defended Adel. Another crack at the whip and the room shattered. "Let's try something fresh! Let's see how many of you it takes to bring me down!"

Flash.

Squall could hear loud voices from the distant crowds of people in the back of his mind. The blaring music mixed with the fireworks set his senses on edge. He stood on the rooftop in Dollet, clear as day just as Nino swiftly dashed past him, a blonde assassin following close behind. Unable to control his feet, Squall flailed his arms as his feet propelled him across a canal, landing on an opposite roof. He looked down, watching as debris fell on the stone ground below. His steel blue eyes looked to Nino and the blonde. In an instant his feet were on the move again, jumping, balancing and climbing—keeping his targets in view.

_Breya was a trusted friend of yours. You had asked her to meet you here and she betrayed you…she divulged your location to your father and they came after you. That's how they knew you were there in Timber, because you had told Breya._

As they ran, Squall watched as Breya pulled a throwing knife out from her utility belt, hurling it to her target. Nino staggered, the knife had grazed her thigh. A sharp cry let out as she pushed forward, running at full speed until she reached the edge of the roof. Suddenly Squall was beside her. Nino took a few steps back, looking to Breya who was a few buildings away.

_What I don't understand is why you would do something so stupid if you were hiding from them?_

Squall exhaled before watching in awe as Nino vaulted off the edge of the roof, safely landing on the lower roof across the street. Searching for an exit, Nino climbed the walls of the next level, making her way to the town square.

Squall heard the footsteps behind him and as soon as he turned his head, he saw the glint of the steel blades shoot past him. He blinked and found himself catching his balance on top of the hotel in the square. Nino stood at the edge, her heels teetering over the side of the stone ledge as Breya approached her slowly, her sickle-edged whip in hand.

"Did you really think I would keep silent about you going to Balamb? What were you going to do?" She cracked the whip, forcing a cowering flinch from Nino. "Answer me!"

"I have to stop the Syndicate, Bre." Nino held tight onto her arm, nearly falling forward. "After all this, are you not tired of killing? Are you not tired of the-the death and loneliness that comes with it? It's got to stop!" Nino let out a pained gasp, doubling over in pain. She jerked her head up, her voice cracking. "Come with me! We can make this right!"

"You will not sway me, Ninnoka. The rules were made clear to us and now you know there's only one way out of this." Breya cracked her whip again, this time toward Nino.

There was a flash of colors and Squall drew in a pained gasp as he felt his limbs moving on their own. He toppled over a ledge, falling to the ground. He opened his eyes, watching as Nino fell with him. As the two of them landed on the hard brick street she lay motionless for the longest time before finally drawing in a breath. As she coughed, he coughed. The sharp pain in his ribs was almost unbearable.

Nino cried out, tightly holding onto her side as she looked to the ledge above her. Had she have landed incorrectly, it was likely her injuries could have been more severe. The music blared loudly as the crowds cheered. A stray dog ran past her, stopping to look to the young rogue before running off again.

"Get up!" She encouraged herself as she slowly staggered to her feet. Squall did the same, feeling the sharp agony in his ribcage and thigh. He looked down to the hand covering his leg, seeing blood.

Squall somehow knew they would come after her. Like Nino he looked to the crowd, they had to go where there were people. There was no way around it. As they both stumbled into the horde of celebrating citizens of the Dollet Festival, Squall looked around, wondering why she would—

"Thank Hyne! Now let's go to the pub and have a drink before we go back."

"Wait! That's Zell's voice…st-stop walking—I think I see him!" Squall's voice landed on deaf ears. As he tried to move forward his feet planted into the ground. His heart jumped into his throat as he saw Urvo and the Ragigio twins through the mass of people on the opposite side of the town square. Urvo's gloved hand pointed in her direction and just as she turned, Squall finally caught a glimpse of a familiar face as their eyes landed on Nino.

Flash.

The memory was seemed like it was watched from a television with bad reception. Fuzzy images, jerking frame to frame as if barely hanging on by a thread. They blended and blurred with other memories, drifting in and out until Squall saw a face.

"We're here."

Squall looked around, seeing Urvo, Breya and the Ragigio twins. Next to him sat Seifer, who was busy cocking and firing the empty gun in his hand over and over. He looked as though he was concentrated on the vibrations in the seats each time the thunder rumbled. Urvo sat in front of Seifer staring at him quietly. "You're too tense to really fire that accurately."

"I don't need to fire it accurately if I'm shooting him point blank." Seifer slated, aiming the gun at Urvo and firing.

"Yeah but have you ever fired a gun without the blade before, Seifer?" Breya asked, loading her own and pressing her back to the wall of the van. Her hair was tucked into a black hat, pieces sticking in all directions.

"Of course," Seifer bit his cheek. "I took a Multiple-Weapons class for two years. I'm a fucking master with this gun."

"It's just that I didn't see you use it when we went after—"

Urvo glared. "Be silent. You have no room to criticize."

"We're set and ready when you are Almasy." Keim walked into the back of the van, tapping Seifer on the shoulder as he took a knee by the door.

_Where was Nino? Why isn't she in this memory…? _

Squall felt nervous as Seifer looked around, watching Breya loading her weapon, watching Urvo sharpening his blade, Mik and Fik meditating, and Keim; who stared attentively at his younger comrade. Squall watched him nod to Urvo, who looked to Breya with a finger to his lips.

Seifer reached for his clip and loaded the gun. "Ok." He sat up straight and looked over at his comrades.

"What are your orders?"

"Kill anybody who breathes." He looked at the young and eager Breya. "Don't have too much fun. We go from the front entrance, and we leave from the front entrance. We're here to get this done and over with, but I want Caraway to suffer, so leave him to me."

"Got it."

"No problem."

"On my word."

"Why, Seifer?" It was an automatic reaction for Squall to ask, even when he knew Seifer couldn't hear him.

Seifer nodded to Keim to open the door. As Keim stayed behind, the other four piled out, walking along the fence line towards the entrance. Squall couldn't control his feet again. He followed closely behind Seifer. The guard was immediately taken down with a bullet to the head.

Breya cocked her gun again, being the first to walk through the gates. Urvo grabbed the guard and pulled him into the bushes as the twins followed Seifer. He knocked on the door, waiting for Caraway's butler to answer. When they saw a light turn on, they leaned against the wall, out of view.

"Breya, stay here." Urvo ordered. "Call us if you see anything." Breya nodded and disappeared to the front gate as fast as it took to blink.

As the butler opened the door, the four of them rushed in, immediately executing anyone who was in sight. Squall shouted in alarm, watching as hired help fell one by one. Mik and Fik reloaded and quickly searched the house in opposite directions. As gunshots rang in the other rooms, Squall followed Seifer as they the stairs and into the same room Squall was in the night they were ordered to kill Matron. Seifer pressed his ear to the door, hearing music playing softly. Squall took a step back, watching as Seifer turned his attention to Squall, as if he could see him.

Jarred images led him inside of the blackened room; the only light present was the moonlight illuminating through the open windows.

Squall could see Seifer clear through the darkness as he quietly walked around, aiming his gun at every dark corner. Turning to walk out of the room, a light clicked on by the desk.

"You've been very busy tonight, boy."

Seifer spun around and aimed the gun in his direction. "Fury Caraway."

"Is it just you?"

"You really thought I'd come by myself?" Seifer snarled, his feet slowly inching forward. "Are _you_ alone?"

Caraway's aged face gave off an eerily delighted visage. He leaned back in his oversized office chair, his hands folded in is lap comfortably. "I expected you to come after me."

"_Expected it_?" A chuckle flowed out of Seifer's throat. "Why did you do it?"

"Do what? What the hell are we doing here, Seifer?" Squall shouted but his words failed to sway the situation. He jumped in front of Seifer's gun as if his presence would protect Caraway.

"The time for change is upon us soon." Squall turned to watch Caraway stand. "You being here won't change anything either. I am sorry it came down to this, but you have to understand there was no other way."

In the corner of his eye Squall saw someone stepping away from the statue in the corner. As he turned his head the shadowed figure was a twisted mass of displaced obscurities. His eyes strained as he tried to focus, wanting to see the figure as it lifted a sword.

Flash.

Squall instinctively closed his eyes when a sudden flicker of the lights flashed in front of him. He felt his legs running, his body moving fast. As opened his eyes he watched his feet as they ran on pavement. They were outside.

The lights of the Deling Law Enforcement cars blinded Squalls eyes as he turned to see Seifer running adjacent to him.

"Who was that Seifer? Why are we running?" Squall screamed. He couldn't stop running but he looked everywhere to see where the rest of the group had gone. Something in the back of his mind told him they had left Seifer long before this moment. Fat raindrops pelted their bodies, stinging the exposed skin on Squall's arms. Seifer's emotions flooded Squalls and he suddenly felt numb. He felt defeated but alive.

Seifer's black leather trench coat fluttered like wings as he fled. Squall felt the bullets passing them, hitting the pavement, the cars and the street.

"We can try again… we can always try again." He threw his arms back, his trench coat slipping off onto the asphalt, relieving Seifer of the heavy weight that slowed him down.

Stumbling as he adjusted to the sudden change of encumbrance, he managed to keep his footwork and continued to sprint down the street.

Squall watched the jerky memory as it twisted and hazed. When the vision drifted back to a viewable state. His muscles felt a pain he had only experienced through vigorous training. The burning ache turned into a dull pang with each step. In his mind, the essence of terror was something he couldn't just shake off, but it was far better than the pain he felt next.

Squall had heard the bullet whizzing through the rain spattered air. A harsh shout pushed itself out of Seifer's throat as he felt the bullet penetrate his shoulder.

Their feet staggered to a halting stop, falling forward into the pavement. Squall looked down; the bullet was in his shoulder. Or was it? Was it in Seifer's? He looked to Seifer's shoulder, the blood trickling down the hem of his sleeveless white top.

Squall exhaled, reaching back to his shoulder and discovering blood as well. He groaned again, searching for help. "Where's the van? Seifer they… left us! They left us!"

"Enough!" Irvine screamed. Seifer turned to look at him. Irvine stood half a block away from Them. Seifer smirked and reached a hand up to give him the finger. He held his shoulder while he ran, trying to keep it in place. Squall felt the agonizing pain shooting down his back, desperately wanting to stop. The entire situation was all too real for him. They turned the corner down the street, the sirens deafening in his ears.

Flash.

It was refreshing to feel a sudden blast of a summer breeze on his face. Squall opened his eyes carefully and he saw an open field of flowers and plants, forest trees and a mountain range in the distance. He could hear the wind blow and the calming noise of the ocean. Squall looked down, realizing he was standing on the beach. Any pain or exhaustion he felt was replaced with a feeling of warmth and calmness but it wouldn't overpower the sensation of confusion after witnessing what actually happened the night Seifer was arrested. Nothing made sense to him anymore. Before he could finish his last thought he saw a glimpse of a photograph being carried by the. As if by magic it slowed in its travel he recognized the people in the polaroid. It was a shot of Seifer and Nino, sitting on a blanket in the sand. Seifer's slapdash smirk and Nino's toothy grin stood out in Squall's mind as the photograph quickly coasted out to the sea.

"That was the best one! I was going to keep that!"

"You've got a million of them just like it!"

"So? You were smiling in that one!"

The conversation behind him was what made him turn around. He saw the two people from the photograph lying on a tattered blanket. Behind them was a winding road and pulled over against the ditch was a rental car, the backseat was stuffed to the brim with bags and boxes. Were they going somewhere? Squall wondered as he approached.

Seifer sat upright, stretching his legs. The dark khaki shorts he wore cut off at the shin. His bare feet were dirty and left dark prints on the crème colored blanket. He held a half-eaten sandwich in one hand and a book in the other. He couldn't have been no older than twenty, Squall figured. Nino lay curled up against him wearing a green sundress. The camera rested on her stomach. She sat up with him, pointing the camera at his face.

"Stop wasting your film. We can't afford to buy anymore until we get to Dollet." Seifer covered his face with the book as he stood, dusting off his khaki cargo shorts.

Nino followed him as he walked toward the shore with the camera ready to shoot. "I just don't want to leave out a single moment. This is a new life for us, isn't that worth a few pictures?"

Seifer smirked, affectionately brushing the hair from away Nino's eyes. He held out his hand for the camera and stepped back a few feet, bringing the camera up to his eyes and shooting a photo behind Nino. From where Squall stood it was as if Seifer was photographing him. A flash came from the camera and a picture ejected itself in the front of the device.

Tossing the camera back to his travel companion, Seifer stuffed his hands in his pockets and started back to the blanket. "It's going to be dark soon..."

Squall looked to Nino who smiled sadly as she caught up with him, looping her arm around his and resting her head on him as they walked. They gathered up the blanket and the rest of their belongings, leaving the camera in the sand. As Seifer packed the items in the car, Nino stared at the photograph in her hands, kissing it before letting the wind carry it away. He looked down as the photograph blew past him. All he saw in the brief glimpse was the coast of the Hasberry plains.

Flash.

When Squall's eyes opened, he was surrounded in darkness. Smoke encircled him as he spun around, trying to search for another memory. His chest felt heavy and his breath was getting shorter. Squall remembered when he had been travelling through time compression. That transition from the present to the future had given him this same feeling. He reached for his collar, tugging hard as he tried to breathe. The smoke was getting thicker and his feet were glued to the ground.

As his mind reeled, Nino appeared in front of him, holding a photograph. The one from the beach with Seifer. "He was different when Ultimecia was destroyed. He knew he couldn't return to Garden, and living the life of an assassin was no place for a child. We adapted and moved on."

As fast as she had appeared, Nino faded away with the billowing smoke.

"You were pregnant?" Squall moved in a circle, looking for Nino.

She appeared next to him with a stack of photographs in her hand. As she sifted through them, the pictures fluttered around them. Lifting one to Squall's steel blue eyes, he could see Seifer putting together a crib in a nursery, Matron sat behind him in the rocking chair, talking with him.

"I don't think Seifer retained anything he did when Ultimecia possessed him. Any efforts to get him to remember were useless. He said that trying to think back on it was like looking through a dense fog."

It was too late when Squall turned his attention to her. She was gone and Squall's chest instantly felt like it was going to implode on itself as the surroundings distorted and changed into another setting, this time he was in what looked like something similar to a bomb shelter. Squall turned his head to look forward and see curtained partitions used for hospitals surrounding a well-lit area. He could see shadows of trays and tables, shadows moving, people shifting around, as if avoiding something in the center.

"Wh…where am…" A weak voice exhaled. Squall moved his head around, trying to see if he could get a look. He failed to find any type of vantage point from where they were standing. The female voice behind the curtain became frantic, hysterical. "Let me go!"

Something prevented him from stepping forward. It was like an invisible barrier keeping him from advancing. He pressed his hands out, touching something solid, but still unseen. His face tightened as he heard the creak of the restraints that were apparently being used to tie down the woman behind the partitions. Her breathing became heavy as the shadows crept closer to the center. Squall could hear voices from behind the curtains, low, whispers—mostly men.

"She has carried this child long enough. It is time."

Squall felt his heart sink as he finally recognized the voice of the woman. He turned to Nino for answers, feeling sick as she looked on with a pained expression.

"Are you INSANE? Who are you!" The voice shrieked, sounds of struggle echoed in the concrete room. "You cannot take my baby! Please! Don't do this!"

"This child is not for you to keep, little one." Squall bit his tongue, the smooth deep voice of the man speaking cut through him like butter. Squall outright refused to admit recognizing the tone.

He pushed through the invisible barrier and stepped forward, his heartbeat becoming rapid with each step. He drew in his breath, not wanting to make a sound as his eyes searched for an opening in the panels. He couldn't help but gulp as he saw a younger Nino strapped onto a hospital bed, a linen towel covering her body, her legs in stirrups.

"Thirty-seven long weeks." Fury Caraway's hand ran across Nino's belly, "Surely you understand the cause. You mean your father didn't tell you?"

Squall watched as a woman walked in, the apparent doctor. She removed the cigarette from her red lips, blowing smoke into the air.

"This is the Almasy-Mireille child?" Her hoarse voice was as recognizable as the high-priced scarlet lipstick she had smeared over her lips. Dr. Muri Aulda extinguished the cigarette with her pointed shoe and walked over to Nino, examining her vitals. "This one's very healthy. We might have a higher success rate producing an heir." She talked as if Nino wasn't human, but a host for the infant growing inside of her.

"Surely, you can't expect the same results when it's not of a specific bloodline. I do hope she is pleased with her new successor… do we know the sex of the child yet?" Dr. Greig Burlong, the very same well-known physician who discovered the link to memory loss with Guardian Forces stood behind Aulda. What was he doing there?

"Let it be a surprise. Let's see if the old woman's prognostication's come true." Squall felt like he would be sick, disgusted that so many well-known individuals were standing in there just letting it happen. He looked around, recognizing Ambassador Markus Kinjay of Dollet, Dr. Raib Cradd—the prevalent physician of Deling City. His eyes went to another man, who wore a scowl under his hooded face.

Nino began to sob, straining underneath the buckles that kept her to the table. "Let me go." She said, quivering. "Let me go…"

"Wait." The hooded man stepped forward, looking down at Nino. "This _is_ Seifer Almasy's first born, yes?"

Burlong pushed a tray beside Nino; on top of it were surgeon tools and medical equipment. Squall felt his own fear for the child. Having Nino's terror washing over him only made it worse.

Nino jumped at the sudden feeling of Aulda's fingers inside of her. She groaned in humiliation, feeling a new kind of pain. "The head is engaged in the cervix. Let me know when you are ready."

"Answer me." He was very calm when he spoke, despite the onlookers beginning to feel impatient.

"Is this Seifer Almasy's first born?" His tone took a more aggressive pattern as he waited for Nino to respond.

"Go to hell." She spit in his face and continued to struggle. "_Deno manté alsia orlo man afrilfelset! Dabur komo tum deno alsia!_" She hissed, wishing death upon each of them.

The hooded man wiped away the spit from his face. He nodded to Aulda. "Proceed. If the child is proven to not be the promised heir, we'll kill it…and her."

Nino cried out. "N-né—NO! What do you want me to do and I will do it! Just don't hurt my baby!"

"Well look at this." Aulda's voice cooed. "Such defiance! Now such a sobbing mess…"

"Is this Seifer Almasy's first born?" The man growled, his voice pierced Squall's ears.

Squall absently shook his head, hoping that Nino wouldn't cave into their interrogation.

"YES!" Nino followed with a heaving sigh when he stepped away from her. "Yes it is!" She sobbed, looking around the room. "Why does it matter? Please just let me go!"

Everyone in the room was silent with the exception of Nino. Pleasing looks went to the hooded man, who nodded to Aulda. "Then let us begin." He leaned down, wiping away the sweat on Nino's forehead and planting a small kiss. "Losing a child is painful, but the pain is not forever, I promise you." He extended his hand out to hers. "I will grant you comfort for your compliance. Take my hand, as this will be very painful."

Nino began hyperventilating, choking on her sobs. The hooded man sat in the chair beside her as she continued to stare at the ceiling. He held onto her lifeless hand, satisfied.

Squall mimicked the motion, but in anguish for the mother and her child. He moved his hands to his ears as he heard Nino screaming again. He closed his eyes tight as he stumbled against the wall. He yelled over Nino's cries, wishing himself back into the airship. He had let this go on far too long. Dipping into the past, it never delivers positive outcomes, only knowledge. He didn't need to learn of this. He was fine knowing what he knew before. Before he knew it, the room was silent, all except the sound of a tiny infant's cry.

As Squall's eyes shot open, tears falling down his cheeks as his attention shot toward Nino. She sat in her chair, feet propped as she doodled in her journal.

"Caraway took your child." He watched as the pen in her hand stopped moving. "He stole it. Cradd, Kinjay, Aulda… they were all there when your child was born."

"Yes." Nino confirmed, looking at him with a pained expression.

Squall jumped up and stood in front of Nino. "Seifer never killed any of them—it was your family. They had this planned out—they used him to take the fall!"

Flash.

Urvo sat in a tiny visitation room. Seifer stared through him, traumatized from the attack. Urvo extended an envelope out to Seifer. "If you remain silent, we can ensure that Nino will be safe from harm. Take the fall and we will get you released at in no time…"

Squall shook the images out of his head, "There was never a plan to release him…"

Nino shook her head.

"Why did you let him stay in there for so long?" Squall was angry. The emotions that had played out during the missions all came together. He felt like screaming, like hurting somebody. "Why did you just let this go on?"

Nino said nothing. She bit her lower lip and watched Squall as he paced around the cabin.

Images of the events that took place in Caraway's mansion flitted around them, Seifer entering Caraway's office, Torrin coming out of the hidden passageway, attacking Seifer.

"Tell me! Why didn't you run then? Why wait four years to do it?"

Nino smirked, looking down. "Seifer didn't believe me when I said that my father was behind it all, and when Seifer met up with Urvo and his team, they came after me in the hospital."

"_I will be back. I refuse to let those bastards get away with this."_ Squall could hear Seifer's unrelenting voice in the back of his mind. He could even hear Nino's reply, sounding just as unyielding as Seifer's. _"Don't do this! Don't leave me here to go off and do something so stupid! We left that life behind! Let's just get out of here!"_

Nino cleared her throat, her head pounding. "Everything we knew, everything I brought up to believe... it was all a lie. Without Seifer, Torrin had the chance to step in and fill in where Seifer wouldn't."

"I find it difficult to believe that _Seifer_ refused to take orders from authority." Squall said dryly.

"Let's just say that without the world leaders, who would control their subjects?"

Torrin emerged from Squall's memories, towards a man in bed. He drew a short blade, driving it into the man's chest. He recognized the man as Dr. Raib Cradd. The blood sprayed on Torrin's face. He turned to Squall, grinning wickedly.

Squall turned around, seeing a terrified young woman. Torrin launched from the bed, slicing her across the chest. "The blonde woman was later identified in the newspapers as Cradd's assistant, Yula Picklen. Cradd was having an affair with her. She died on her way to the hospital, screaming that it was Seifer who did it all." Nino huffed, shaking her head. "They did it to cover up their own work, and passed it on as his."

Squall huffed, "Why? What for?"

Nino simply shrugged. "I was never privy to that. Nobody would tell me."

"How is it that I can see all of this, even when you aren't in the memories?"

"Like I said Squall," Nino stood and walked to the canopy. "When I heal a person, I receive their memories. When I relive those memories, they become mine. They're passed down."

Before Squall could respond, the door to the cabin opened. A SeeD officer stepped inside and saluted to Squall. "Headmaster, Trepe has requested to speak with you about the upset passenger—eh, Almasy, sir."

"Seifer's here—is he okay?" Nino jerked her head to the officer in shock. Her body shook as she looked to Squall for an answer. Squall closed his eyes, "Soldier, as a final task for today, escort Quistis Trepe to these quarters." The SeeD opened his mouth in protest but then quickly realized his error and left in silence.

When Squall opened his eyes, Nino was no longer beside him. She was staring out at the body of water they were travelling over. "We're almost to the Lenown Plains…" She assured herself, her voice trembling. Squall kept his eyes on his new ally. "I need you to understand that I couldn't just let you or Seifer know. I needed to know that I could—"

"That you could trust me, or at least get as much information out of me before I was locked away forever. Is that right?" Squall nodded, feeling low on himself for keeping the truth from her. "What happened in Dollet?"

"Squall, I—" Nino drew in a breath. "I was trying to stop them from killing everyone in the square. They had planted bombs all along the stage at the Festival. The list I gave to Seifer was a list of important officials in the Unified Council. Most of them were planning to be at the Festival. I got there in time to stop it but Breya found me."

Squall found himself staring at the passing body of water. He sighed, sneaking a glance at Nino. "I was wrong to act so ruthlessly. I didn't listen to Seifer when he was trying to tell me. So…I'm sorry."

Nino smiled, her gaze never leaving the sky. "I know."

"I still don't trust you, but I want to."

"Have I given you reason not to?" Nino stretched and her white button down shirt ruffled as her arms reached over her head. "You should learn to trust your friends, and ignore your instincts once in a while."

"I still have some questions…"

Nino watched as he thought to himself. It was like watching somebody juggling their own thoughts. She smiled, nudging him. "Squall there are times when questions are not necessarily there to be answered, but there to inspire thinking. See the memories I've passed onto you, you'll soon learn that not everything is always as it seems."


End file.
